TV guide: 12 of the best shows to watch this week

Ireland’s Wild Islands

Sunday, RTÉ One, 6.30pm

Eoin Warner continues his voyage along Ireland’s Atlantic coast, and this week his Galway hooker continues south from Mayo to the Clare coast, where Eoin witnesses huge battles on the Inishkea islands between rival breeding grey seals. He visits the Aran islands in search of Ireland’s only native reptile species, but nothing prepares him for the amazing sight of dozens of basking sharks giving a breeding display off the Clare coast.

Hijacked: Flight 73

Sunday, Sky Documentaries and Now TV, 9pm

The hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in 1986 shocked the world with its violence and brutality and ushered in a new, deadlier era of international terrorism. Palestinian terrorists stormed the aircraft on the tarmac of Karachi Airport, subjecting 360 passengers to a terrifying 16-hour ordeal and leaving 21 passengers dead. This film blends drama and documentary to tell the story, and is directed by Bafta winner Ben Anthony, whose previous work has included Grenfell and 7/7: One Day in London.

Johnny Logan and Shay Healy. Photograph: RTE

Cloch le Carn

Monday, RTÉ One, 6.30pm

As Eurovision 2023 approaches, Cloch le Carn remembers the man who penned Ireland’s Eurovision winner What’s Another Year in 1980. Shay Healy – or Famous Séamus, as many knew him – was a versatile entertainer and broadcaster who always had an interesting project on the go, whether it was his documentary on Phil Lynott or his novelty band Rubbish with their hit Abba parody Hey C’mere. This programme paints a portrait of a well-loved personality who died in 2021, having lived with Parkinson’s for 15 years.

Clive Myrie’s Italian Road Trip

Monday, BBC Two, 6.30pm

This may come as a shock, but there are a handful of British people left who still want to visit EU countries, and one of them is Clive Myrie, who will be exploring all that Italy has to offer in this new travel series. In the first episode, Myrie channels his inner 007 and his Fiat channels its inner Aston Martin as he tears down the winding roads made famous in the Bond movies. But instead of an evil villain’s lair, he finds an ancient subterranean city. Myrie also visits Puglia, Iraly’s gay holiday capital.

Tuesday, Sky Max & Now, 9pm

Will is a streetwise teenager who’s been transplanted from the streets of Philadelphia to the mansions of Bel-Air in California, in this “reimagined” version of the Will Smith comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – with fewer quick-fire gags and more focus on the teen angst. The struggle to deal with life in a rich people paradise is one we can all relate to, and series two finds Will coming under the influence of a dubious role model, and serious danger of slipping back into his old delinquent ways.

Love Life

Tuesday, TG4, 10.30pm

Anna Kendrick starred in the first series of this romantic anthology series, all about finding love in the modern world, but in this second series, Kendrick takes a back seat, making only a guest appearance. The idea is that each series follows one person through their love life, and series two focuses on a young book editor named Marcus (William Jackson Harper) who meets an intriguing woman named Mia, and the two bond over a love of literature. But Marcus is still married to Emily, and Mia is in a committed relationship. Will it all get a bit messy? We’re counting on it.

Food Matters

Wednesday, RTÉ One, 8.30pm

It’s episode five of RTÉ's new series looking at Ireland’s food sustainability, and this week sees a climate summit of sorts, chaired by presenter Michael Kelly, and featuring environmental activist Alannah Wrynn, dietitian Orla Walsh and beef farmer Kieran O’Sullivan. The venue is Grow HQ, and the main topic is: should we be eating more plant-based food? Kelly also visits Michelin-starred Aimsir restaurant in Kildare, where vegetables are more than side dishes, and meets grower Pat Fitzgerald to find out what’s happening with alternative veg such as yacon and wasabi.

The Windsors Coronation Special

Wednesday, Channel 4, 9pm

In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a new king being crowned over yonder, and the telly schedules are filled with special programmes priming us for Saturday’s big coronation party. Satirical comedy series The Windsors is getting in on the act with this one-off special starring Harry Enfield as the new head of Britain’s most famous dysfunctional family. Charles has been waiting all his life for this, and naturally wants his coronation to have all the bells and whistles. But with Britain is in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis, can the new king afford to put on an ostentatious display?

Super Garden

Thursday, RTÉ One, 7pm

It’s episode two of the garden design contest, with five gardeners vying for the chance to create their own garden at this year’s Bloom event in the Phoenix Park. Landscaper Trevor Kinsella has a connection with Phoenix Park: his dad was a park ranger there, and Trevor knows every inch of the place. His task is to create a vividly coloured Moroccan-inspired garden for Shaz and Edurne and their three children. Trevor’s creation, called Solas, will see Trevor repurposing old objects to bring sustainability to his designs.

Sisters

Thursday, RTÉ One, 10.15pm

Sarah Goldberg and Susan Stanley star in this comedy about two women in their 30s from opposite sides of the Atlantic who discover they are half-sisters. How do they deal with this shocking revelation? Naturally, they jump into a bockety old ice cream van and set off across Ireland in search of their deadbeat dad, meeting up with some colourful, comedic characters along the way. Now Sare and Suze have reached the end of their quest and tracked down dad Jimmy (Donal Logue), but will this be the happy ending they’d hoped for, or will it just leave more empty spaces in the two women’s lives?

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

From Friday, Netflix

With the Bridgerton brand stamped on this series, expect all of polite (and not-so-polite) society to gather in front of the box to watch this prequel of sorts to the main series. The story centres on the rise to power of Queen Charlotte, whose arranged marriage to King George kick-starts the social world of the Ton. Golda Rosheuvel revives her role as Queen Charlotte, with Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell back as Lady Agatha Danbury and Lady Violet Bridgerton and India Amarteifio as the young Charlotte.

Black Ops

Friday, BBC One, 9pm

Meet Dom and Kay, two rookie coppers who dream of cracking crime in their east London community, but end up wishing they had been careful what they wished for. Despite their complete lack of experience, the pair are assigned to go deep undercover to infiltrate a the notorious Brightmarsh organised crime gang. Somehow Dom and Kay manage to convince the gang they’ve been fired from the force and are pursuing a new career in drug dealing. Will their cover story hold up and, more importantly, will their luck hold out?